crush culture
by hisrealnameisclarence
Summary: When Axel Turner offers to double Camp Rock staff member's salary, Andrea and co. pack up their stuff and move across the lake. However, Camp Rock's crush culture keeps trying to bring her back.
1. be angry at the sun

Be angry at the sun for setting.

If these things anger youm Watch the wheel slope and turn.

-**Robinson Jeffers**

**THE SUN BEATED DOWN** her face as she stood in front of the junior rocker cabin's. It was the first day of Camp Rock. Her new position as Activities Leader required her to greet every overprotective or negligent parent. However, it didn't require her to be happy about it.

Normally, one wouldn't complain about having an actual job, but Andrea had been standing for nearly ten minutes without greeting a single person in the god awful heat listening to Anna Margret and Christoper Wilde on repeat over the radio that Gigi left for her. It was enough to drive anyone crazy and at this point in time, she was going insane.

Andrea sighed loudly. Either there was a lack of campers this year or there was a pile up in the highway. Either way, she had to check if her $20 setting spray was worth it.

Taking a quick break from dying in the sun, Andrea took one look at her reflection against the window. It proved that her setting spray wasn't her money's worth. Her eye makeup sweating away. No wonder no one was there. She was scaring them away.

Andrea fetched her black Jansport backpack from under the cabin's steps and took out her insulated water bottle. She used what little water she had left to wipe off her makeup.

Andrea's sweat was making everything stick unaesthetically. She re-tucked her maroon camp rock staff shirt back into her high waisted shorts. She took the entangled hair out of her hoops and gold arracadas. She re-positioned the red bandanna on her high ponytail. She even take out the tiny rock that she forgot was stuck in her timbs since last year.

11:45 am read her deep dive watch. 15 more minutes until she was able to leave and get the hell out of the sun.

Andrea brought out her SPF 100 sunblock. God, I need shades, she thought. She covered her eyes with her hand to look up at the scorching sun.

There were rings around it.

"A storm's acoming," she dramatically reenacted. "Brace yourself for thy heavens are giving me, a humble disciple, a warning."

"Who told you that?"

Andrea jumped out of her skin. She was too distracted by the memory of her dead schizophrenic grandfather to hear anyone sneak up on her.

When Andrea saw Brown Cesario, her boss, fully form from the white dots she was seeing due to staring directly at the sun like an idiot she immediately relaxed.

"Old Man Orellana," she answered as she began spraying her sunblock. "He would scream it at the top of his lungs in our front yard when I was kid whenever the sun would look like that. Then, he would proceed to speak conspiracy theories in latin about the ending of days."

Brown nodded along. "Your dad never told me about your grandfather."

Her dad never told anyone about anything. Growing up he was a reserved guy, it's one of the reasons why her mom divorced him six years ago.

"People don't like divulging embarrassing information," she quoted her mother.

"Somebody you love having a mental illness isn't something to be embarrassed by."

Andrea tilted her head. "I never said he was the one embarrassed."

A few more second of silence happened before Brown decided to speak up. "Connect 3 is coming."

Andrea squinted at Brown. "Like all 3 of them to perform for the opening jam?"

"No," he answered as if she were a child. "To stay. For the whole summer."

The whole summer.

The entire summer.

The-

"Will you be okay?"

Andrea nodded acting completely unbothered. "Peachy."

Brown didn't believe her for a second. No matter how many times in the past couple of years she claims she's forgiven them, she hadn't. There was no doubt in his mind that she would like it, but she just couldn't.

It becomes evident when she switches radio stations or tv channels when they're on. Even more so, when she refuses to come to certain events because she knows for a fact that they would be there. It's why she went to visit her grandmother during the days the the beach jam and final jam were going on.

"If you're not comfortable being near them during the summer because of the final jam fiasco-"

He probably was referring to the time that Shane Gray decided to sing a love song. A love song that Andrea had partially written in her very private journal that he stole from her bunk, to her for the Final Jam. Then, proceeded to get a record deal, tour across the world, and make millions off of it with his brothers. Meanwhile, Andrea was still stuck in the middle of nowhere, had no money, and stopped writing music all together. To top it off she gets teased by her fellow coworkers and camp mates to this day because of that little stunt Shane Gray did all those years back.

"I'm fine," She told him in her most calmest voice. "I am. Truthfully. So, can you just go? Please."

Brown stared at her for a moment before getting the memo that she wasn't going to open up anytime soon. She never does.

With reluctance, he left her to be miserable under the sun.

Not long after Lionel St Claire, resident asshole, came behind her while she was greeting a parent. Three months ago, he got into a car crashing leaving a bit of his calf with nerve damaged. The way he dragged his foot along the gravel path was a dead give away.

"Hey, Lionel," she said halfheartedly.

Lionel pointed behind him, the direction Brown went. "You do that?"

Andrea sighed. She felt bad for being a bit harsh, but it was the only for Brown to get the hint. "Yeah."

"Figures," he said. "Only you can go that."

She turned to look at him. "Do what?"

"Break his heart without batting an eye," Lionel stated.

Andrea rolled her eyes. This again. She could honestly care less that her need to set boundaries makes her look like a bitch. She'll always look like a bitch in people's eyes. What the point of trying to give an explanation for every action?

"What can I say? I have a gift."

It was common for Andrea to be a bit heartless when it came to other's people's reactions about her actions. She just wasn't used to people not hearing the truth. Lionel was the only one that never had to adjust to her insensitive demeanor because his family was exactly like that. In some way, her attitude made him feel a bit like home.

Andrea pointed at the sun. "A storm's coming."

Lionel turned to stare at the sky. It was obvious that he didn't see what she saw.

Nonetheless, he nodded along. "C'mon, the opening jam is starting."


	2. to forgive a friend

"_It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend_"

-William Blake

"**THOUGHT WE WERE** going to the opening jam."

Andrea wasn't complaining. She didn't want to spend an hour and a half of her time in the scorching sun watching random teenagers sing and dance. Rather than be in the AC filled dinning commons trying to get the last bits of the breakfast buffet.

Andrea grabbed more strawberries from the breakfast bar before moving onto the donuts and bagels. She ran a bit late that morning because she messed up on her eyeliner twice. Thus, not giving her time to eat.

"You hate opening jam," Lionel reminded her.

"I hate a lot of things," she retorted. "Don't mean I won't do them."

Andrea smirked. "You should know. You were my boyfriend last year."

Lionel rolled his eyes. "That was a mistake."

"Dating me or not taking me to opening jam?" She questioned.

"The way this conversation seems to be heading? Both." Lionel grabbed a plastic spoon.

The duo took their seat at an empty nearby table. They sat directly across from each other because Andrea hated when people would sit next to her when there was a perfectly open space right in front of her. It was something she picked up from her father.

Just when Andrea was going to dig in she realized that she forgot her an eating utensil. "Frack," She cursed.

Lionel whipped out the extra spoon he took. With an appreciated smile, Andrea took it.

"So, how's it been?"

"Why can't you just ever go ahead and ask what you really want to ask?" Andrea asked as she dug into her yogurt tart. "Why go around in circles? Quite frankly, it's making me dizzy."

"That's just you haven't had your breakfast." Lionel began buttering his bagel. "I only asked because you're acting more you than usual. Are you dying?"

Andrea rolled her eyes. God forbid she speaks her mind and suddenly she's seen as a bïtch to the world.

"Unfortunately not."

"Then, why do Brown like that?"

Suddenly, Andrea lost her appetite. It tends to happen when people start asking very uncomfortable personal questions about things she doesn't want to answer and they know she doesn't want to answer. She pushed her food away, crossed her arms, and looked directly into Lionel's eyes. "Why exactly do you think that, Lionel?"

Lionel rolled his eyes. It was common for Andrea to answer a question with another question whenever she didn't want to open up. Which was always. But still, Andrea was in pain. It's his job as her self proclaimed best friend to help her through this dark time like how she helped him with his leg.

"Nathaniel William Grayson," He stated.

Andrea's nose scrunched up. That was a name she could go without hearing. "What about him?"

He clicked his tongue feeling a bit annoyed. "Girl, you know exactly what?"

Lionel was right. Andrea knew exactly what he was talking about but she wasn't going to give him that satisfaction of being right. Not while he messed with her feelings like that. "No, Lionel. I really don't."

Lionel snorted in disbelief at his ex-girlfriend's stubbornness. She was being difficult for the sake of being difficult and he knew that she knew that and he hated it. It's why they broke up, if he were to be completely honest. "So, we're just not going to talk about how you used to be madly in love with Nate Gray."

Andrea's eyes grew wide. The audacity! She looked around in a panic, hoping no one heard his statement before yelling whispers at him. "Could you have been any louder? Jesus fracking Christ, Lionel. It's bad enough being cornered by Brown. Now, you."

"And-"

"I was not madly in love with him," she harshly whispered at him. "Did I have a crush? Sure. I was 13 and he was kind to me. But love? Now, let's not go that far."

Lionel rolled his eyes, clearly not believing her. "You wrote a song about him, Andrea, and he wrote multiple ones about you and you know it."

"Hey! I wrote one about you, too," she reminded him. "And there is no proof that Natha-that he wrote songs about me. He liked Judith way more."

"Noooo," he corrected, leaning closer to her so, they could continue their whisper battle. "You wrote a poem about me. You wrote a full on song about him that Shane ended up finding and perf-"

"Okay. Okay." Andrea gave up trying to reason with him. He was too much of an asshole to even be considerate of how he was making her feel right now. After all, what gives him the right to tell her how she feels? She knows exactly what she used to feel about Nate. Keyword:used to. "We don't have to go down painful memory lane today."

"I'm just saying-" she cut him off.

"No, what you're 'just saying' is indirectly asking me whether or not I'm emotionally stable enough to handle Connect3," Andrea told him. They both vividly recalled when she ran out on Shane's performance and punched the bathroom mirror. Lionel was the one to find her in her unstable state. He knew that whatever she was going through at that time wasn't just about Shane, but something internal. So, he discretely took her to the hospital despite being 14 and not legally being able to drive. As far as they knew, no one found out about her mental breakdown. And they vowed to each other that no one ever will. "I'm not 13 anymore, Lionel. I know myself more. I know how to be okay enough to handle them. I'm passed it all. I've forgiven Jason and Nate and... Shane. So, all's good."

"Okay. I'm beginning to belive you when you say that you forgave Nate and Jason. Jason was just following his brothers and you've always had a soft spot for Nate, but what I don't believe you is when you claim that you forgave Shane."

Andrea looked away. He was right. Her crush on Nate allowed her to forgive him, but whenever it came to Shane, she's always held this hold of anger in her. Even thinking about him makes her blood boil.

"Shane was your friend before anything," Lionel told her. "And he betrayed you by not only stealing your songs and making millions off of it. But he also ruined your friendship by telling you his feelings. He told you that he loved you instead of saying it back you cut him off completely because you knew that you wouldn't be able to say ot back. Last year proves this. You guys couldn't look at each other without your hearts breakings because you both know that he ruined a good thing and now, there's no going back. There's no room for forgiveness. There's just grief for a platonic frienship you loved."

Andrea quickly wiped a stray tear from her eye. Lionel was right because of course he was.

Shane Gray was her only friend for nearly 8 years. Not necessarily her best friend, but he was someone who always seemed to cheer her up and make her smile whenever she was in a sour mood. Their relationship grew even closer when her father was sent to prison when she was 12. He never forced her talk about her problems so, it was just nice to always be with him.

Then, Shane had to mess it up by proclaiming his love for her knowing damn well that she didn't feel the same way about him. He screwed it up more by making an album about her because why not pour salt on a wound?

After that whole ordeal, she was left friendless and alone for nearly two years before Lionel came along.

"I'll be fine."

Lionel still didn't believe her, but decided to drop the subject before he pushed her to have another episode. Even though she hadn't had one in nearly a year, he wasn't going to risk it.

Andrea grabbed a piece of his fruit tart as payback for having to endure a heart to heart conversation in a summer camp dining pavilion at 12:54 pm. He didn't even try to refute knowing that he deserved having his fruit tart taking away from him after pushing his friend in an uncomfortable position.

"Have you seen Gigi?" Andrea asked him in the midst of eating the fruit tart.

Lionel shook his head. "Last time she told me she was with you."

"No, last time I checked she told me she was with you."

Both Lionel and Andrea looked at each other a quiet panic before they launched out of their seats and went to look for their dear friend, Genevieve 'Gigi' Higginbotham. Although Gigi was 19 and capable of handling herself, she had a nasty habit of starting problems with other campers because of her big mouth.

Andrea took her phone out of her pocket and slid it on to look for her best friend's phone number before dialing. The camp counselors walked to the opening jam in anticipation as the phone continued to ring.

"Hey, it's Gigi-"

Andrea ended the call.

"Why did she lie about where she was?" Lionel asked aloud.

Andrea sighed. "I don't know."

"Call her again."

Andrea rolled her eyes at his sudden authoritative stature. Who did he think he was? Her father? "Yeah, okay," she said sarcastically before scoffing. "Fuck you, Lionel. Do it yourself."

Lionel gave her the 'are you kidding?' look at her dramatic change in behavior. He asked her to do one simple thing not marry him. "I didn't charge my phone last night, Andrea. It's dead."

She rolled her eyes again at his lame excuse. "Fine. I'll call her again."

Andrea begrudgingly pulled her phone out her back pocket and had to use her minutes to call Gigi again.

They continued their way to the Opening Jam as the phone rang only Andrea decided to be extra and walk in front of Lionel. With each dreaded step and obnoxious ring she unknowingly grew more agitated and Lionel began to notice.

"You lying minx," Lionel laughed.

Andrea completely stopped which led to Lionel bumping into her. She whipped her head around ready to smack her co-worker in a moment's notice. "Excuse me!"

"I'm passed it allmy ass," he mimicked her in a terribly high pitched voiced. He pointed to the stage behind her. "You're still not over it."

Andrea opened her mouth to defend herself except she had no words other than "O-Oh, c'mon. As if!"

Lionel smiled. Just as they were going to leave their area. The faint sound of a very familiar Blackberry met her ears. "Wait, do you hear that?"

Sure enough Genevieve Higginbotham around the corner with her hand on her phone and her left heel in the other.

"Ya called?" Gigi asked.

Lionel didn't get a chance to ask what she was doing behind her that cabin when his watch began buzzing.

"It's 12:45," he read aloud.

Gigi and Andrea nodded knowing that it wad time to get up on stage as staff members of Camp Rock and present themselves. Gigi was a full time summer intern assistant to Brown while Andrea was a full time lifeguard that some times took over couselor duties for overtime. Lionel, on the other hand, was a part time camp counselor for the junior rockers. He would normally be full time, but he had to take summer school precalculus and ACT Prep in the local high school down the road.

Gigi repositioned her MK backpack on her back and put on her shoe. "I swear to God if he calls me Genevieve one more year in a row." Lionel and Andrea flanked Gigi as they made their way to stage. "But it beats being called Andy."

Andrea rolled her eyes. Whenever Brown thinks he's being cute he called Andrea, Andy, knowing damn well that she hates that stupid nickname.

"Quick!" Lionel shouted. Andrea turned around to see her best friend's holding each other in faux panic. "Andy's coming!"

Lionel and Gigi pretended to play dead against each other.

"I need new friends," Andrea told them. She spun around and hurriedly made her way to the stage again.

Lionel and Gigi laughed behind her. "Oh, c'mon, Andy," Lionel smiled, putting the emphasis on the Disney character's name. "It was funny!"

"No, it wasn't!" Andrea hollered. She didn't even bothering to look back at those two idiots. She just held up her middle fingers.

Gigi laughed at her best friend's crude behavior. "I thought it was funny, Lionel."

Lionel smiled. "Thank you, Gigi."


End file.
